minent danger of death." Questions touching the facts of any case named in the former part of the canon are to be referred to the bishop, and he is required to make inquiry such as he deems expedient, and to deliver his judgment in the premises. At the same convention 1 1*77 ), an effort was made to have the Table of Prohib- ited Degrees, contained in the English Prayer-book, in- serted in the American Book of Common Prayer, but it did not meet the approval of the convention. — Some extravagant and unwarranted assertions having been- made at various times as to the meaning of " regenera- tion," and its effects, etc., in the offices for infant bap- tism, there was issued, at the General Convention of 187 1 , the following " declaration of the bishops in coun- cil :" " Wc the subscribers, bishops of the Protestant ICpiscopal Church in the United States, being asked, in order to the quieting of the consciences of sundry mem- bers of the said Church, to declare our conviction as to the meaning of the word regt m rati in the offices for the ministration of baptism of infants, do declare that, in our opinion, the word regenerate is not there so used as to determine that a moral change in the subject of bap- tism is wrought in the sacrament" (signed by all the bishops present, forty-eight in number).
The movement begun in Germany in 1870-71 by Dr. Dullinger and others has been watched by the Protes- tant Episcopal Church with deep interest and earnest hope that it may tend ultimately to solid reform in the Continental churches now in communion with Home. In the convention of 1871, the bishops recorded their hearty sympathy with the heroic struggle then being made for religious liberty on the part of the Old-Cath- olic Congress recently assembled in Munich ; and in 1874 it was "Resolved, That this house, with renewed confidence, reiterates the expression of its sympathy with the bishop and synod of the Old -Catholic com- munion in Germany, and the promise of its prayers for the divine blessing and direction on their work ; also, that three bishops lie appointed a commission of this house to keep up fraternal correspondence with the bish- op and synod, for exchange of information and consid- eration of overtures for reconciliation and intercommun- ion between sundered churches."
The course pursued by the highest legislative author- ity on the subject of churches or congregations estab- lished in foreign lands in communion with the Protes- tant Episcopal Church illustrates the views and princi- ples on which this Church deems it right to act. Twen- ty years ago. the Rev.W. O. Lamson began services in Paris, specially for the benefit of Church people sojourn- ing in or visiting that city. The General Convention of 1859 recognised the propriety and lawfulness of hav- ing Protestant Episcopal churches abroad. Congrega- tions accordingly have been organized during the in- terim since 1859 in Rome, Florence, Dresden, Geneva, and Nice, making six in all at this date (1878). At the General Convention of 1877 the matter was carefully regulated by canon, which says, "It shall be lawful, under the conditions hereinafter stated, to organize a church or congregation in any foreign country (other than Great Britain and Ireland, and the colonies and dependencies thereof), and not within the limits of any foreign missionary bishop of this Church." In order to secure proper and legitimate action, and also suitable control over these foreign churches or congregations, the canon goes on to state fully the mode in which they may be organized and conducted — viz. they must rec- ognise their allegiance to the constitution of the Ameri- can Church; must produce proper certificates; must be in canonical submission to a bishop, who is in charge of all such churches and is aided by a standing committee duly appointed; and they must conform to the provis- ions laid down for discipline, in case it become neces- sary. The bishop in charge at this date (1878) is the F>t. Rev. Dr. Littlejohn, of Long Island.
An association taking its rise in Europe, and calling itself the " Evangelical Alliance," held its sixth General
PROTESTANT EPISC. CHURCH 684 PROTESTANT EPISC. CHURCH
Conference in New York. < >ct, 2 12, L873. Ii was com- posed of delegates from various Protestant denomina- tions, foreign as well as American, who claim to be con- sidered "evangelical" in the proper and precise sense of thai word. Among its delegates from abroad was the V, i\ ],\ .. I.\ Payne Smith, D.D., dean of Canterbury, who brought with him a letter of sympathy from bis grace. Dr. Tail, archbishop of Canterbury. The dean took pari in the work of the Alliance, as did also a v< ry few of the American Episcopal clergy; having frater- nized with the Presbyterians at a public communion service, he was called to account by Dr. Tozer (recently an English missionary bishop in Africa, and just then on a visit to New Jfork), and was censured through the papers of the day. The assistant bishop of Kentucky. Dr. Cummins, likewise joined in this irregular service, and thereby foreshadowed what soon after took place — viz. the commencement of the schism to which his name bas been attached. He had become greatly dis- satisfied with tlie state of affairs in the Protestant Epis- copal < "ninvh ; he was impressed wit h the fact, as he es- teemed it, that this Church is too exclusive and in con- tinual danger of going over to Home, and so be made up his mind to abandon it to its fate and set up a new organization of his own. a sort of half-and-half Epis- copal and Presbyterian arrangement. Under date of Nov. 1(». 1*7;;. he addressed a letter to bishop Smith, his diocesan, in which he enumerated various reasons or causes for the course he had resolved upon, lie de- clared that his conscience' was burdened with being compelled to officiate as bishop in ritualistic churches in Kentucky; that he had lost all hope of Seeing eradi- cated from the Church's standards and services sacer- dotalism and ritualism; that he was much hurl at be- ing blamed for sharing in the service above alluded to in a Presbyterian place of worship, and thai, conse- quently, he had determined to transfer his "work and office" to another sphere. Dr. Cummins was entirely right in abandoning the Church if he could not slay in it with a clear conscience, and labor in it in accordance with his solemn vows at ordination, one of which was especially. " with all faithful diligence to banish and drive away from the Church all erroneous and strange doctrine contrary to God's Word." Inasmuch, how- ever, as he had abandoned Ilia post, and was soon after degraded from the ministry, he had no "office" to carry with him, though lie assumed that he had, and under- took lo act as a bishop when he was no longer a bishop. Bishop Smith of Kentucky (who was also senior bish- op), on receiving Dr. Cummins's letter, immediately in- stituted proceedings in accordance with the canon: Dr. Cummins was at once suspended from all exercise of the ministry; and the six months of grace allowed for re- traction having passed away, the formal deposition took place June 24, 1874 (ratified afterwards in full House of Bishops at Genera] Convention in October. 1*74). See Reformed Episcopal Church.